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After determining that the final cost was too high for the town, Tillsonburg will revisit the long-planned town hall project aimed at centralizing municipal services.
Jul 14, 2020 • Last updated Jul 16, 2020 •
After determining that the final cost was too high for the town, Tillsonburg will revisit the long-planned town hall project aimed at centralizing municipal services. The town will explore potentially using the Tillsonburg Town Centre to consolidate these services. (Postmedia Network file photo)
Tillsonburg’s efforts to unify its municipal offices are moving into a new stage.
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The town council decided to reconvene the steering committee – first formed in 2015 – to evaluate either a design, build and own approach or an expansion of its current offices in the Tillsonburg Centre Mall.
Council members showed more willingness to negotiate with the owners of Tillsonburg Centre Mall – where the administration offices are situated – rather than pursuing the pricier town hall option.
“We should be talking about all options and we should be talking to the Strathallen group first,” deputy mayor Dave Beres said. Strathallen Capital owns the mall.
The staff report highlighted that the town pays roughly $217,500 annually to lease 1,115 square metres in Tillsonburg Centre Mall.
While it owns the land, Beres noted that Strathallen Capital owns the building. The lease for Tillsonburg runs until late 2023.
The report indicated that Strathallen Capital is open to negotiating with the town about bringing more services into the mall. However, with three years remaining on their lease, it allows time for exploring all options and securing a favorable deal, according to Coun. Penny Esseltine.
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“I think we need to consider all options before we know that’s the one we should negotiate with. … We need to simultaneously look at all options.”
Durring this process, council members have voiced considerable concern regarding estimated costs associated with a proposed town hall that significantly exceeded budget limits.
After it was decided the final price tag was too much for the town to handle, Tillsonburg will take another look at.. (Handout) jpg, WD
In January’s meeting when three proposals were presented to them, estimated costs ranged from $24 million to $26 million – which translates into $800,000 to $850,000 per year over a span of thirty years.
The maximum budget previously set by officials was $16.5 million or $550,000 per year over thirty years for this initiative.
The journey towards finding a potential new town hall has been lengthy and began back in 2015 when they established this steering committee.
During public meetings last year regarding this project; residents expressed support for consolidating municipal services but were against proceeding at those projected costs.
A presentation made by this steering committee in January recommended selecting S. E. M. Construction’s proposal; however; council chose not to continue with requests-for-proposals due to excessive costs.
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The three proposals reviewed by council in January varied between sizes of 2 ,325 and 2 ,527 square meters-meeting intentions of gathering all municipal services under one roof instead of keeping them dispersed across three locations throughout Tillsonburg. p >
A space needs study predicted approximately needing around 2 ,230 square meters capable of accommodating roughly fifty staff members. p >
Following Coun. Deb Gilvesy ’s inquiry regarding some municipalities adopting hybrid work models where employees split their time between home and office ; Kyle Pratt-town CAO-mentioned how this study allows flexibility regarding future requirements. p >
Staff plans on providing an update in fall detailing projected expenses tied into relocating more services into till son burg centre mall along with leasing versus ownership costs. P >
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